Fire damages historic theater

150 firefighters battled to save landmark in downtown Owosso.

150 firefighters battled to save landmark in downtown Owosso.

February 16, 2007

OWOSSO, Mich. (AP) -- State police are investigating a blaze that ripped through downtown's 80-year-old landmark theater, destroying years of renovations. It took about 150 firefighters several hours Tuesday night to control the fire at the Joseph H. Lebowsky Center for the Performing Arts, The Flint Journal and The Argus-Press of Owosso reported. No one was in the historic building when the blaze broke out near the back of the structure, buckling the walls and ruining thousands of dollars' worth of extensive renovations. In January, dozens of volunteers donated hundreds of hours of labor to paint, replaster and repair the theater. "I don't know if I could be more devastated if it was my own house that burned down," said John Morovitz, president of the Owosso Community Players. "As a group we've spent so much effort and time and money." The group, which owns the theater, was preparing to stage a production of "Beauty and the Beast" beginning Feb. 23. Several nearby businesses also suffered smoke and water damage.